Full Name
Jennifer Keesmaat
Job Title
President & CEO, Collecdev Markee / CEO, The Keesmaat Group / Former Chief City Planner, City of Toronto
Speaker Bio
Jennifer Keesmaat is one of Canada’s leading urbanists and city-builders. Named one of Canada’s Most Powerful People by Maclean’s, one of Toronto’s Most Influential People by Toronto Life, and one of Canada’s Top Women of Influence, she has spent her career helping governments, communities, and the private sector tackle some of the most complex challenges facing cities, including housing affordability, sustainable growth, and resilient urban development.
Jennifer is President and CEO of Collecdev Markee, where she leads the development of new communities across the Greater Toronto Area with a focus on delivering sustainable, liveable neighbourhoods and expanding access to high-quality housing. Under her leadership, the firm is advancing innovative approaches to housing delivery, including purpose-built rental, affordable housing, co-operative housing, and modern methods of construction.
Previously, Jennifer served as Toronto’s Chief Planner, where she became widely recognized for championing city-building that balances growth, housing, mobility, public space, and environmental sustainability through a collaborative and forward-looking approach.
Jennifer continues to shape housing and urban policy nationally. She serves on Canada’s National Housing Council, advising the federal Minister responsible for housing on policies to improve housing affordability and supply across the country. She was also a member of the National Housing Supply Task Force, whose landmark report, Blueprint for More and Better Housing, has helped shape housing policy discussions across Canada.
She is the Chief Architect of the Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities, a national framework developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Canadian municipalities build more resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities. The declaration has informed resilience planning well beyond Canada.
Jennifer has advised leading academic and public institutions throughout her career. She is a Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto, has served on the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute Toronto, the International Panel of Experts for Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, and currently serves on The Ohio State University’s President’s Planning and Growth Advisory Board and Design Review Panel.
In recognition of her global impact on the planning profession, Jennifer was named by Planetizen as one of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists of All Time—a rare honour recognizing the thinkers and practitioners whose ideas have fundamentally shaped the way cities are planned and built around the world.
Jennifer is President and CEO of Collecdev Markee, where she leads the development of new communities across the Greater Toronto Area with a focus on delivering sustainable, liveable neighbourhoods and expanding access to high-quality housing. Under her leadership, the firm is advancing innovative approaches to housing delivery, including purpose-built rental, affordable housing, co-operative housing, and modern methods of construction.
Previously, Jennifer served as Toronto’s Chief Planner, where she became widely recognized for championing city-building that balances growth, housing, mobility, public space, and environmental sustainability through a collaborative and forward-looking approach.
Jennifer continues to shape housing and urban policy nationally. She serves on Canada’s National Housing Council, advising the federal Minister responsible for housing on policies to improve housing affordability and supply across the country. She was also a member of the National Housing Supply Task Force, whose landmark report, Blueprint for More and Better Housing, has helped shape housing policy discussions across Canada.
She is the Chief Architect of the Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities, a national framework developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Canadian municipalities build more resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities. The declaration has informed resilience planning well beyond Canada.
Jennifer has advised leading academic and public institutions throughout her career. She is a Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto, has served on the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute Toronto, the International Panel of Experts for Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, and currently serves on The Ohio State University’s President’s Planning and Growth Advisory Board and Design Review Panel.
In recognition of her global impact on the planning profession, Jennifer was named by Planetizen as one of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists of All Time—a rare honour recognizing the thinkers and practitioners whose ideas have fundamentally shaped the way cities are planned and built around the world.
Speaking At
